2010 Pac 10 Conference Preview

> Check out the entire 2010 College Football Preview

One year after producing the most exciting conference race of any league in the country, the Pac Ten (soon to be Twelve) is back for another campaign full of twists and turns. This will be the most wide-open conference in the entire country this fall as there are eight teams that are are legitimate contenders to win the league title! While the usual suspects are considered to be the favorites (Oregon and USC), this is certainly the toughest league to predict and I think that the widespread parity on the West Coast will result in a champion with at least two league losses.

With so many contenders, let’s get the non-factors out of the way. Washington State has been one of the worst BCS Conference teams in the country for the last two years. While the lowly Cougars are going to be much more competitive this fall, they’re simply not going to be a contender. The other team that I don’t expect to see compete is UCLA. They’re a talented team but they too many concerns with depth and youth on both sides of the ball and they will be fortunate to earn a bowl berth this season.

As for the contenders, the Arizona State Sun Devils’ inclusion on this list will come as a surprise to a lot of people. However, ASU has fielded one of the league’s best defenses for three consecutive seasons, so if they can find a remotely productive offense then they could be dangerous. I think they’ll find enough scoring to earn a bowl berth, but not enough to win the conference.

Ahead of the Sun Devils, there are four teams that are very difficult to separate: Arizona, Cal, Oregon State and Washington. The Huskies are certainly a contender with Jake Locker running their offense but their defense and difficult schedule will hold them back. Meanwhile, the Beavers are always a tough team that generally exceeds everyone’s expectations. However, they have a murderous schedule and will be breaking in a new starting quarterback, enough to prevent them from winning their first conference championship since the ‘60s.

The Cal Bears will be one of the most intriguing Pac Ten teams watch this season, as they could be one of the league leaders for the majority of the season. However, a difficult closing stretch (though it does come at home) will hold them back from taking the conference title. Unfortunately, that’s the same issue facing the high-powered Wildcats of Arizona, who could also see their dreams dashed in November. While I predict that all four will fall short of the conference crown, I also believe that every one of these teams will win at least seven games in 2010.

That whittles the race down to three: Defending Champion Oregon, heavyweight USC and ascending Stanford. USC will be very interesting to watch this fall as they break in a new coaching staff with the NCAA’s two year bowl ban hanging over their heads. While the talented Trojans are definitely going to be a major factor in the race, they have a very tough road schedule that features seven away games overall and I think that will result in a runner up finish. Meanwhile, Oregon was chosen as the favorite to repeat by the Pac Ten media but they have a few major losses to replace, most notably quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. The Ducks also have five conference road games, which will be a difficult task to overcome. In the end, I think that archrival Oregon State will break a two year losing streak in ‘The Civil War’ and knock the Ducks out of the Rose Bowl chase. The Beavers will call it revenge after Oregon has prevented them from winning the league in each of the last two seasons in the exact same fashion.

That means that Stanford is my choice to win the Pac Ten this fall. Many people are overlooking this team because Heisman runner up Toby Gerhart is now plying his trade in the National Football League, but I think that an offense that features an elite quarterback, a strong set of receivers and one of the best offensive lines in the country will continue to be very productive. However, what will push the Cardinal over the hump this season is the play of their defense. Most fans forget that Stanford won eight games last year despite fielding one of the Pac Ten’s worst defenses and they will be significantly stronger this fall. With a more balanced team, I think that Stanford will be tough to beat this fall. A final league record of 7-2 will be enough for Jim Harbaugh’s team to claim their first Rose Bowl berth since 1999.

While Stanford is my pick to win the Pac Ten, this is a truly wide open conference. The parity in the league will create an exciting race but the downside of that competitive balance is that I don’t think any of the league teams will play a big role in the National Championship. But when it comes to entertainment value, the Pac Ten will take a back seat to no one in 2010.

Read each school’s individual preview by clicking below!

• Stanford (7-2)
• Southern California (6-3)
• Oregon (6-3)
• Arizona (5-4)
• California (5-4)
• Oregon State (5-4)
• Washington (5-4)
• Arizona State (4-5)
• UCLA (2-7)

• Washington State (0-9)

Matt Baxendell is collegesports-fans.com’s college football guru. He has an opinion on every team, even lowly Western Kentucky, so feel free to email him at matt.baxendell@gmail.com if you want to talk football, comment on an article, get added to his mailing list or just feel like telling him how foolish he for thinking that WKU is in for another terrible season.